The Billionaire's Challenge

Paris

Chapter 5

Paris

(Audrina’s POV)

The hum of the plane’s engines was oddly soothing as we took off from Amsterdam. I had settled into my first-class seat, intending to spend the short flight catching my breath from the whirlwind that was Soren’s wedding. But, of course, nothing ever goes as planned.

"Hello, beautiful," Accius's deep voice broke my moment of peace. I glanced over, finding him comfortably leaning back in his seat, his eyes glinting with mischief.

I arched an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance. "Accius, right? Fancy seeing you here."

He grinned, his French accent curling around my name in a way that was almost too charming. "It's like fate, isn't it? Twice in two days? I think the universe is telling us something."

"Or you’re just following me," I said, my tone light but guarded. I still couldn't shake the sense that there was something off about him.

His eyes sparkled, like he found the whole situation amusing. "If I were following you, it wouldn't be this subtle."

I turned to face the window, hiding a smile. He was confident, I’d give him that. "You’re awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you?"

"Confident, not arrogant. There’s a difference," he corrected smoothly. "So, Paris? Business or pleasure?"

"Business." My voice was clipped.

"And here I was, hoping you'd say pleasure." He leaned closer, his tone dropping slightly. "You know, I’d love to take you out to dinner. Paris is full of wonderful places, and I know them all."

I turned to meet his gaze, surprised by the boldness of his proposition. “I’m not really looking to date right now,” I said, keeping my tone as neutral as possible.

He tilted his head, studying me for a moment before smiling again. "Fair enough. But how about this—if we run into each other again, you say yes to dinner."

I narrowed my eyes. His confidence bordered on presumption, as if he knew something I didn’t. “If we run into each other again,” I repeated, “I’ll say yes.”

He smirked, a glint of something secretive in his eyes. “Deal.”

The plane began its descent into Paris, the sprawling city coming into view below. As we prepared to land, Accius gave me one last lingering look. “I have a feeling we’ll see each other soon.”

I shook my head with a small laugh. “Goodbye, Accius.”

“Au revoir, Audrina,” he said, his voice teasing as I stood to disembark.

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The next morning, I met Airelle at our usual spot in Le Marais, a small café tucked away from the busier streets. She was already seated when I arrived, her dark hair falling loosely over her shoulders, and a wide smile plastered across her face.

“Nezi!” she cried, leaping up to hug me the second I walked in. "Oh, mon Dieu, I missed you! You’ve been gone too long! You’ll never believe what happened while you were away—oh, and Sterling, he’s perfect, absolutely perfect! And work! Don’t even get me started!" She switched between French and English at lightning speed, barely pausing for breath.

I sat down, laughing at her excitement. “Airelle, slow down. One thing at a time. Sterling?”

She beamed, leaning in like she was about to share the juiciest gossip. “Oui! Sterling James. He’s British, has this gorgeous accent, and I swear, Nezi, I think he’s the one.”

I raised an eyebrow. “The one? Didn’t you just meet him?”

“Five dates!” she corrected me, waving her hand like that was a lifetime. “But I know it, Nezi. I feel it. I mean, maybe it’s a little fast, but you know me. I fall first and ask questions later. He’s... perfect. Kind, thoughtful, and he’s really into what we do. He’s been asking all about the firm!”

I smiled, knowing Airelle well enough to understand that she wore her heart on her sleeve. “Just be careful, okay? Don’t let him sweep you off your feet too quickly.”

She waved me off with a grin. “I know, I know. But enough about me—tell me about the wedding! Was it as stressful as you thought it would be? How was the family?”

I hesitated, unsure of how much to tell her. The wedding had been beautiful, and reconnecting with old friends had been nice, but the tension with my father still weighed heavily on my mind.

“It was… interesting,” I finally said. “The wedding was beautiful, Soren and Nicola were adorable, but my father—well, he’s still himself.”

Airelle made a face. “Ramsey Christensen, always the charmer.”

I nodded, taking a sip of my coffee. “He’s still trying to control everything. But let’s not talk about him. I’m just glad to be back.”

Airelle smiled warmly. “I’m glad you’re back too. Now, let’s tackle the day. We’ve got work to do.”

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Later that morning, we arrived at the firm, a small but chic office space in the heart of Paris. Juliana and Ian, the other two architects who worked with us, were already there, flipping through design plans and discussing upcoming projects.

“Morning, boss,” Juliana greeted me, her eyes twinkling as she gestured to the sketches on the table. “We’ve got some ideas for the new bid in Montmartre, but we’re still trying to figure out how to deal with the cash flow issue.”

Ian chimed in, his voice calm but concerned. “We’ve got a few proposals out, but nothing concrete yet. We’re running low on options.”

I frowned, scanning the designs spread out before me. Our boutique firm had done well for itself over the last few years, but lately, cash flow had been tight, and it was starting to affect our ability to take on new projects. We needed a solution, and soon.

“We’re going to have to get creative,” I said, leaning against the table. “What if we—”

Airelle cut me off, a gleam in her eye. “Actually, I think I might have an idea.”

We all turned to look at her. Airelle was great at thinking outside the box, and when she had that look, it usually meant something good.

“Give me a few days,” she said confidently. “I want to explore a couple of things, and then I’ll present it to you all. I think it could solve our problem.”

Juliana raised an eyebrow. “You sure? Because we’re kind of running out of time here.”

“I’m sure,” Airelle replied, her tone firm. “Just trust me.”

I nodded, knowing that when Airelle set her mind to something, she usually came through. “Okay, we’ll give you the time. Let’s meet again in a few days and see what you’ve got.”

As the meeting wrapped up, I felt a small sense of relief. We weren’t out of the woods yet, but at least we had a plan.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In the evening, after the office had quieted down, my phone buzzed. Seeing the name “Granny Lily” flash on the screen made me smile. My mother’s mother, always the grounding force in my life.

“Granny Lily,” I said, answering the call. “How are you?”

Her warm, familiar voice came through the line, filling me with a sense of comfort I hadn’t felt in days. “Darling, I’m fine. But more importantly, how are *you*? I heard you were at Soren’s wedding. How did it go?”

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “It was beautiful. But... you know how things are with Father.”

“Ah, yes,” she said softly. “Ramsey never changes, does he?”

“No, he doesn’t.”

There was a pause before Granny Lily spoke again, her voice gentle but firm. “Don’t let him get to you, Audrina. You’ve made a life for yourself, a good one. Hold onto that.”

“I will, Granny,” I said, feeling the weight of her words settle over me like a protective blanket.

“You’ve always been stronger than you think,” she added. “And you know, no matter what happens, you’ve always got me.”

I smiled, blinking away the sudden prick of tears in my eyes. “I know, Granny. Thank you.”

As I hung up the phone, I felt a renewed sense of determination. No matter what my father or anyone else threw at me, I had built something for myself, and I wasn’t going to let anyone take that away. Not now, not ever.